Drawer and fastener combination



Dec. 27, 1966 w. H. KAFFERLIN ETAL 3,

DRAWER AND FASTENER COMBINATION Filed June 28, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1INVENTORS WELLIAM H. KAFFERLIN GENE B. HASBROUCK BY TRAVERS O. STOHLBERGMXX- Dec. 27, 1966 w. H. KAFFERLIN ETAL 3,2 6

DRAWER AND FASTENER COMBINATION 2 Sheets- Sheet 2 Filed June 28, 1965INVENTORS WILLIAM H. KAFFERLIN GENE a. HASBROUCK '5 TRAVERS Q.STOHLBERG4,7

United States Patent Oflfice 3,294,463 Patented Dec. 27, 1966 3,294,463DRAWER AND FASTENER COMBHNATION William H. Katferlin, Spring Creek, andGene B. Hasbronck and Travers Q. Stohlberg, Corry, Pa., assignors toCorry Jamestown Corporation, Corry, Pin, a corporation of New York FiledJune 28, 1965, Ser. No. 467,387 13 Claims. (Cl. 312-2345) Thisapplication is a continuation in part of application Serial No. 389,411,filed August 13, 1964, now Patent No. 3,252,746, granted May 24, 1966.

This invention relates to a handle, latching mechanism, and card holderfor sliding drawers of desks, cabinets, and the like, and is moreparticularly directed to a handle that incorporates a finger actuatedlatch mechanism by which the operator may release the drawer forwithdrawal from a closed or confined position. The invention alsorelates particularly to, in combination with a latch mechanism anddrawer, a card holder of unique design.

In the prior application an improved drawer latching mechanism wasdisclosed. The present application discloses an improvement on thelatching mechanism shown in the parent case, and in addition and incombination therewith, an improved card holder.

It is, accordingly, an object of the invention to provide an improvedcard holder in combination with a filing cabinet.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved latchingmechanism in combination with a filing cabinet.

With the above and other objects in View, the present invention consistsof the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fullydescribed, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and more particularlypointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes maybe made in the form, size, proportions, and minor details ofconstruction without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of theadvantages of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a partial front view of a drawer according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross sectional view taken on line 2-2 of FIG.1;

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of the card supporting bracket;

FIG. 4 is an isometric view of a transparent, resilient, relativelyrigid member for supporting on the front of the bracket shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an isometric view of the bracket shown in FIG. 3 with thelatch mechanism attached thereto; and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged isometric view of the front of the drawer showingthe index card being inserted into the :holder therefor;

FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view taken on line 77 of FIG. 6.

Now with more particular reference to the drawings, the file drawerfront 10 is shown which may be of any of the usual type of file drawersused in steel filing cabinets or the like, or it could be a card filedrawer, or a desk drawer. It is shown strictly for the purpose ofillustrating an example of how the drawer latch and card support can beused in office furniture and other furniture.

The file drawer front has a front panel 11 that has a rectangularopening 12 therein. The drawer has a handle 14, which is a part of thebracket 25. The bracket 25 has a leg in the form of a plate-like flatsupporting member 17, which has an inclined upwardly and rearwardlyfront surface and a horizontally disposed bottom leg 27. A horizontallydisposed top leg 28 extends forward from the leg having the fiatsurface, and the front edge of the leg 28 is turned downwardly at 14 toform a handle. The bracket may be supported on the drawer by welding orriveting or other well known fastening means.

In the embodiment shown by way of example, two spaced tabs 29 extendforward from the lower edge of the supporting member 17. These tabsextend through slots in the lower edge of window member 18. Two similarlateral tabs 55 extend forward from the side edges of supporting member17. Tabs 51 are triangular in shape and they form upwardly bentcontinuations of top leg 28.

The front drawer panel has rearwardly extending triangular flanges 54bent inward at each side of opening 12. A slot 57 is found in eachflange 54. These slots 57 receive the outer ends of handle 14,. A shortflange 53 is struck inward at the lower edge of opening 12 and tabs 29underlie this flange as shown in FIG. 7. This prevents the bracket frommoving relative to the opening 12.

Flange 52 of rear drawer panel 611 has a tab 61 which underlies theflange 62. Tabs 51 engage the lower side of flange 52 and rear panel 60engages the end of bottom leg 27, as well as the upper rear part ofbracket 25 thus holding it in place.

A transparent plastic window member 18 is supported on the bracket 25and has a leg 31 at the lower side that underlies the horizontal bottomleg 27, and a vertical sheet-like portion that overlies the upwardly andrear- A wardly extending leg portion 17. The transparent window member18 has notches 19 therein that are laterally spaced and are formed atthe juncture of the horizontal and vertical portions of the transparentmember. These notches receive the lugs 29, which are integral with thebracket 25.

The latch 23 is fixed to the connecting link 16 and extends l-aterallytherefrom. The latch has a notch 42, which is adapted to receive asuitable drawer guide and to slide thereon. The hook 24 is integrallyfixed to the latch 23 and will engage a suitable member on the furniturein the manner disclosed in the parent application.

The upper end of the connecting link 16 is rigidly fixed to theactuating bar 15. The actuating bar 15 extends laterally under theforwardly extending leg 28 of the bracket 25 and has a leg 45 thatextends up through an opening 46 in the top of the bracket. The leg 45has a lug 47 that overlies the top leg 28 of the bracket to limit thedownward movement thereof.

In operation, the operator will insert his fingers under and through theopening 12 and engage the bottom surface of the actuating bar 15 andforce it upward. This will lift the lug 47 off of the upper leg 28 ofthe bracket 25 and with it lift the connecting link 16 and the hook 24to disengage the latch 23. When the operator releases the force of hisfingers, the latch will drop down by gravity.

To replace a card, the operator inserts his fingers through the hole 21in the leg 17 which is the inclined surface of bracket 25 and forces thetransparent window member 18 to move forward so that a card 50 may beinserted between the transparent window member 18 and the inclinedsurface of leg 17. The resiliency of the transparent window member 18will thus urge it to swing rearwardly, bring it backward and hold thecard in position where it may be viewed through the opening 12.

The foregoing specification sets forth the invention in its preferredpractical forms but the structure shown is capable of modificationwithin a range of equivalents without departing from the invention whichis to be understood is broadly novel as is commensurate with theappended claims.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property orprivilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. In combination, a drawer front and a label holder,

said drawer front having an opening therein,

a bracket attached to said drawer front rearward of said opening,

said backet having a generally horizontally extending leg defining adownwardly facing leg surface and an upwardly and rearwardly inclinedleg defining an inclined leg surface overlying said opening,

a relatively rigid transparent sheet-like member generally L-shaped incross section having an upwardly facing leg surface underlying saiddownwardly facing leg surface and a rearwardly facing leg surfaceoverlying said inclined leg surface,

means attaching said transparent member to said bracket with saidinclined leg surface of said transparent member swingable from saidinclined leg surface of said bracket to permit an index card to beplaced therebetween.

2. In combination, a drawer front and a label holder,

said drawer front having an opening therein,

a bracket attached to said drawer rearward of said opening,

a relatively rigid transparent sheet-like member overlying said opening,

means fixing the lower edge of said transparent sheetlike member to saidbracket,

said transparent sheet-like member being swingable forward to receive anindex card behind it,

the resiliency of said transparent sheet-like member urging it to swingrearward against said index card,

and means to support the rear side of said index card.

3. The combination recited in claim 2 wherein said transparentsheet-like member is generally L- shaped made up of a verticallyextending part and a horizontally extending part,

said means attaching said transparent sheet-like member to said bracketcomprising laterally spaced laterally extending notches in itshorizontally extending part adjacent said vertically extending part,

and spaced lugs on said bracket received in said spaced notches.

4. The combination recited in claim 2 wherein said bracket has a fingerreceiving hole therein adapted to receive the finger of an operatorwhereby said transparent sheet-like member may be forced from saidbracket.

5. An index card holder comprising a rigid resilient transparent membergenerally L-shaped in cross section made up of two sheets disposed at anacute angle to each other,

a rigid support for said resilient member,

said support being made of two planar surfaces disposed at an acuteangle of slightly lesser magnitude than said acute angle of saidtransparent member,

said transparent member lying in close justaposition to said support andbeing urged toward said support by the resiliency of said transparentmember with an index card therebetween.

6. The card holder recited in claim 5 wherein spaced notches aredisposed in said resilient member at the juncture of said sheets,

two lugs are disposed on said support received in said notches.

7. The card holder recited in claim 6 wherein a hole is disposed in saidsupport,

said hole being adapted to receive the finger of an operator whereby onesaid sheet of said resilient member can be urged to swing from saidsupport whereby a card may be inserted therebetween.

8. A drawer front and latch combination comprising a bracket made up ofa horizontally extending leg,

a latch on said drawer front having an actuating bar fixed to aconnecting link at the upper edge thereof and extending horizontallythereof under a forwardly extending leg,

an upwardly and rearwardly inclined leg,

said forwardly extending leg attached to said upwardly and rearwardlyinclined leg,

a downwardly inclined leg attached to said forwardly extending leg anddefining a handle,

said bracket being supported in a file drawer front with an openingtherein,

said downwardly inclined leg being disposed behind said opening anddefining a handle.

9. The combination recited in claim 8 wherein said latch comprises saidconnecting link supported on the outside of said drawer front andextending vertically therealong,

latching means is provided on the lower end of said connecting link,

a lug on the inner end of said actuating bar remote from said connectinglink,

said lug extending through an opening in the top of said forwardlyextending leg,

said actuating bar being accessible by the fingers of an operatorthrough said opening in said drawer front.

10. The combination recited in claim 8 wherein said bracket is attachedby means of said drawer front,

a rearwardly extending flange integrally attached to said drawer frontat each side of said opening,

a notch in each said flange adjacent said drawer front,

said handle being received in said notches.

11. The combination recited in claim 10 wherein said downwardly inclinedleg has a lateral tab at each end thereof lying along the outersides ofsaid legs, whereby said bracket is held in fixed lateral position. 12.The combination recited in claim 11 wherein said forwardly extending leghas tabs extending upwardly therefrom,

and means on said drawer from engaging said tabs holding said bracket inposition. 13. The combination recited in claim 12 wherein said drawerfront has a rear door panel and a front door panel,

said bracket is disposed between said panels,

said rear door panel engages the rear part of said bracket and comprisesmeans engaging said tabs on said bracket.

References Cited by the Examiner CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner.

CHANCELLOR E. HARRIS, Examiner.

1. IN COMBINATION, A DRAWER FRONT AND A LABEL HOLDER, SAID DRAWER FRONTHAVING AN OPENING THEREIN, A BRACKET ATTACHED TO SAID DRAWER FRONTREARWARD OF SAID OPENING, SAID BRACKET HAVING A GENERALLY HORIZONTALLYEXTENDING LEG DEFINING A DOWNWARDLY FACING LEG SURFACE AND AN UPWARDLYAND REARWARDLY INCLINED LEG DEFINING AN INCLINED LEG SURFACE OVERLYINGSAID OPENING, A RELATIVELY RIGID TRANSPARENT SHEET-LIKE MEMBER GENERALLYL-SHAPED IN CROSS SECTION HAVING AN UPWARDLY FACING LEG SURFACEUNDERLYING SAID DOWNWARDLY FACING LEG SURFACE AND A REARWARDLY FACINGLEG SURFACE OVERLYING SAID INCLINED LEG SURFACE, MEANS ATTACHING SAIDTRANSPARENT MEMBER TO SAID BRACKET WITH SAID INCLINED LEG SURFACE OFSAID TRANS-